Early morning.
Chen Mu crawled out of the tent and stretched lazily.
He had flown in at a little after five and then fell back asleep. He felt utterly relaxed.
Daylight shone brightly, and people from the pioneering team gradually emerged from their tents one by one.
In the center of the campsite.
Old Yang stood in front of a large black vat that was half his height.
He picked up a basin of semi-coagulated Exotic Beast Blood and poured it in.
Then he took a scorched clay pot from the bonfire nearby and poured boiling hot water over the rim of the vat.
It was said that with the cooler weather, the insects became lazy and sleepy. Hot water was needed to heat up the vat to wake the insects up.
Chen Mu was curious and wanted to take a look, but he hesitated before stepping forward.
Having seen it once before, the sight of the vat full of wriggling insects was indeed quite unsettling.
“Better hurry up and wash up, then have breakfast,” he mumbled to himself.
…
In a corner of the campsite, there were three large stone tubs about half a person’s height, filled with clear mountain spring water.
Chen Mu brought a wooden bucket to the side of a tub.
A dark-faced man in his forties with a big belly was also at the tub.
He scooped up a ladle of water with a gourd dipper and gulped it down noisily.
Finally, he poured a little water into his hand, wiped it across his face, and considered his wash-up complete.
A corner of Chen Mu’s mouth twitched involuntarily.
“Even if it is clear, it’s still mountain spring water. Aren’t you afraid of upsetting your stomach by drinking it directly like that?” he thought critically but kept silent.
The people in the campsite were all robust, able to endure even if the water wasn’t clean.
Chen Mu shook his head, filled his wooden bucket with water.
On his way back to the tent, while no one was looking, he teleported the water into his Five Ghosts Bag. Inside it, he had a specially made filter.
Fine sand, charcoal, disinfectant powder—after five or six layers of filtration, the water even had a faint medicinal taste.
He didn’t have the carefree attitude of these natives; he had no desire to catch a disease for no reason.
After finding a spot to wash his face and rinse his mouth, Chen Mu returned to his tent.
As usual, he took out the roast meat wrapped in flatbread he had prepared the night before, covered it with the Spiritual Armor Black Smoke brand microwave to heat it, and then started to devour his meal.
…
Just after finishing his meal, Old Hao’s urging voice came from outside the tent:
“Xiao Mu, let’s go.”
“Old Yang said we’re pushing forward three miles today.”
“They’re increasing the tasks again? Did the hunting group take some sort of drug to move that fast?” Chen Mu crawled out of the tent, full of surprise.
Even with the help of the Wood Spirit Boy, that pace was a bit too fast.
“The Exotic Beasts are becoming fewer,” Old Hao said with a smile all over his face. “We might be returning to the mountain very soon.”
Chen Mu snapped back to reality, feeling delighted as well.
“It’s about time to go back. We’ve been toiling in these mountains and forests for nearly half a year.”
Going back would be great. He’d have ample time to grind for experience.
The Fire Cloud Curse, the Triple Yin Slaying Demon Technique, and the other unique abilities of the Wu Mountain brothers – there was just too much he wanted to practice.
…
For three consecutive days, the pioneering team accelerated their pace.
Despite complaining verbally, there was a look of joy on everyone’s face.
Chopping down trees in the deep mountains and dense forests for half a year had worn them out. The food was unappealing, the sleep was restless, and they had to be wary of poisonous insects. They had had enough.
“When we get back to the mountain, we must have a good meal to celebrate. Xiao Mu, it’ll all depend on you then,” said Old Hao with a flattering smile.
Chen Mu chuckled. The old man was angling for a free meal again.
He was about to tease him when suddenly,
Roar!
A prolonged roar suddenly erupted.
An invisible shockwave spread out, causing the leaves to shudder violently.
A chilling pressure swept through, and suddenly the entire forest fell silent.
“What… what’s happening?” the red-nosed elder stammered in a trembling voice.
Roar…
As if hitting a start button, a series of frightening roars and cries burst forth one after another.
Chen Mu’s face changed color.
Back at the Lower Courtyard under the Tongtian River, when the Exotic Beast had broken through the Forbidden Law node, the commotion had been just like this!
The hidden Five Ghosts Yin Spirit swiftly flew upwards into the sky.
From a distance, they could see the trees in the forest more than ten miles away shaking violently, toppling to the ground with crackling noises, like sugarcanes being snapped. At the same time, lights from secret techniques burst forth one after another.
“It’s an Exotic Beast!”
“Run!”
Chen Mu yelled to Old Hao, then turned and ran towards Peng Yue Mountain.
The others stood there dumbfounded, watching Chen Mu’s retreating figure, still not fully reacting to the situation.
Old Hao, however, had already come to his senses, discarded the door plank and Chopping Knife, and disappeared from the crowd’s view as he chased after Chen Mu.
…
Chen Mu dashed into the dense woods at full speed, pulled out his flying kite, unfolded it, and was about to take to the air when he stopped.
From the perspective of the Five Ghosts in the sky, a black cloud was rolling in from the south, moving at a rapid pace!
He couldn’t see what was inside the black cloud, but he no longer dared to fly upward.
He wasn’t sure if he could fly past that stretch of black clouds.
Just as he put away the flying kite, Old Hao arrived, gasping for breath.
“How can there be so many Exotic Beasts?” Old Hao asked in disbelief, listening to the increasing screams behind him, and anxiously said, “What do we do now?”
“Follow me,” said Chen Mu, who had no intention of running off alone.
He led Old Hao and dashed towards Peng Yue Mountain with utmost speed.
A quarter of an hour later.
The two of them arrived at a campsite where they had previously stayed.
The Five Ghosts left behind were now hearing louder and more intense roars and screams.
“Why have you stopped running?” Old Hao asked, panting and pale after a sprint. Explore more at empire
The faint sound of screams was already audible, which made Old Hao’s face even paler.
Chen Mu didn’t respond and quickly approached a dry, old tree.
He crouched down and gently reached into the ground with his right hand, his whole arm disappearing into the earth.
Boom!
He flipped a stone as large as a millstone out of the ground, revealing a bottomless hole.
Nodding at Old Hao, Chen Mu leaped into it.
Delighted, Old Hao hurriedly followed by jumping in after him.
Then the stone that had just been flipped up floated back into place and landed with a bang on the hole, once again sealing the cave.
…
“Didn’t we almost clear them all out? Where did so many Exotic Beasts come from?”
In the Underground Secret Chamber, Old Hao was still walking back and forth, his soul seemingly not quite settled yet.
At the end of the Secret Chamber, Chen Mu, who was sitting on a soft couch, had finished his communal sensing and opened his eyes.
During the escape, he had informed Wu Mountain’s six siblings and Shang Huan via the United Heart Curse.
At this moment, they were still running towards Peng Yue Mountain. Thanks to their quick reactions and earlier start than others, they were temporarily out of danger.
He took off the yellow gourd from his waist and, retrieving a wooden cup from the cabinet next to the couch, poured a full cup of Concentration Cooling Tea and handed it to Old Hao.
“If you keep wandering around and attract an Exotic Beast, you don’t need it to eat you; I’ll throw you into the beast’s mouth myself.”
Old Hao stiffened.
Immediately, he sat obediently on the right side of the couch, clutching the wooden cup without moving. Even his breathing became cautious.
Chen Mu took a sip of the Cooling Tea, also puzzled.
How could a large-scale Exotic Beast assault happen with the Wood Spirit Boy’s assistance in scouting?
It was normal for one or two to go unnoticed, but so many hunting parties had failed to detect them?
Were they blind?
Noticing Old Hao’s panic, Chen Mu softened his tone to reassure him, “We are deep underground, seven or eight meters down. It’s safe for now, so let’s just wait.”
Old Hao took a sip of the Cooling Tea and gradually regained his composure, “Aren’t you scared?”
“Scared, yes,” said Chen Mu calmly.
Old Hao looked incredulous. With Chen Mu’s leisurely and composed demeanor, he didn’t seem the least bit frightened.
Chen Mu did not bother to explain.
If he weren’t scared, why would he have this cellar?
From Peng Yue Mountain, he had blazed a trail and dug not just one cellar along the way.
He was just not panicking, that was all.